Electromagnetic moving toy system

ABSTRACT

An electromagnetic moving toy system comprises a track and at least one vehicle located on the track. The track comprises electrically connected coils windings serving as a linear stator and located in a series way along the track. The coils windings are powered in such way that at least two adjacent coil windings operating in time. The linear stator further comprises a core made of magnet-conducting material with high eddy current resistance. The vehicle comprising magnetic means interacting with the coils windings so the magnetic means serving as a moving body providing a possibility for moving of the vehicle. The magnetic means are made as permanent magnets with alternative polarity. According to another embodiment, the track comprises magnetic means located in a series way along the track. The vehicle comprises electrically connected coils windings serving as a linear stator powered by at least one autonomous power source.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of priority of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/586,122, filed Jul. 7, 2004 forEdward Lopatinsky at al. the entire content of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to electromagnetic movingsystems. More particularly, the present invention relates to toy movingdevices like cars on railways, amphibian vehicles and/or submarines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are numerous designs of electromagnetic moving systems likeminiature toy railway systems that include a track and at least onevehicle located on said track.

There are known systems of this type, for example, U.S. Pat. No.4,861,306 “Toy Cog Railway” and U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,724 “Toy RailwayLiquid Transfer Facility”, that include the track (platform, chassis)driven by an engine and vehicle mounted on said track.

Another type of these systems, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,729,866 “ToyRailway Vehicle and Switching Section”, comprises battery poweredvehicle with electric motor.

The most widespread of known electromagnetic moving systems using asminiature toy railway systems include the track comprising at least oneconductive band that is part of an electrical supply line which gives apower to the electric motor of said vehicle,—see, for example, U.S. Pat.No. 4,217,727 “Miniature Monorail System”.

The main problem of all known systems is that it is very difficult toprovide reliable speedy moving vehicle because of the lack of stableattraction between a vehicle and a track, especially at the higher speedon the turns, also with vertical or almost vertical sections as avertical ring or spiral. Even when track sections are locatedhorizontally the vehicle moving with high speed can lose stability andget of the track. So, known electromagnetic moving systems must includespecial means providing reliable attraction between a vehicle and atrack. In some cases it was done by using magnets on the bottom of thevehicle and making track from magnetic conductive (attractive) material.But these means in known systems also make additional resistance to themoving vehicle and needs much more power to move it. Most of such toysare having some special brushes that provide electrical contact with theelectric grid. Or they might be batteries operating that not require anybrushes, but instead need the control trough the wire or wireless andhave limited operating time due to the batteries life.

Therefore, it would be generally desirable to provide an electromagneticmoving system that overcomes these problems and has reliable attractionbetween the vehicle and the track and at the same time to function as amoving device for such vehicle. Also, it is desirable to make thissystem as brushless connected directly to the power supply with nowireless control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention an electromagnetic moving toy systemscomprises a track and at least one vehicle located on said track. Thegeneral idea of the claimed invention is that the track and the vehicleof the system should be made as two parts of common electromagneticdrive which provides moving abilities of the vehicle along the trackwith good stable attraction between the vehicle and the track.

In order to achieve these objectives, according to the first embodimentof the present invention, the track comprises electrically connectedcoils windings, powered by electrical grid and controlled by switchingcontroller in such way that at least two adjacent coil windingsoperating in time. The coils windings serve as a stator and located in aseries way along the track. The vehicle comprises magnetic meansinteracting with the coils windings so the magnetic means serve as amoving body providing a possibility for moving of the vehicle.

The magnetic means are made as permanent magnets located along thevehicle with alternative polarity. The stator may further comprise acore made of magnet-conducting material with high eddy currentresistance, made for example from silicon steel.

The electromagnetic interaction between the coils windings of the trackand the magnetic means of the vehicle not only moves the vehicle, but italso provides at the same time, reliable attraction between the vehicleand the track in any possible configuration and location without anyspecial additional means for it. It makes the electromagnetic moving toysystem much more stable, reliable and gives the opportunity to operateat higher speed of the vehicle and in any position of it, thus providingthe possibility to make the track as vertical ring or spiral, or in anyother configuration. It also simplifies the system and makes it moredurable because it is not necessary to use any kind of brushes.

According to the second embodiment, the electrically connected coilswindings placed on the bottom part of the vehicle and connected directlyto a power source located on the vehicle. Magnetic means located in aseries way along the track and interact with the coils windings locatedon the vehicle, thus represent another way to achieve the similar goalby using the same general idea. Magnetic means are made as permanentmagnets located along the track with alternative polarity. It gives, ingeneral, similar effect as mentioned first embodiment. Suchconfiguration provides the minimum necessary power usage and, as aresult, the essential economy of energy.

The coils windings serve as a stator. The stator may comprise a coremade of magnet-conducting material with high eddy current resistance,made for example from silicon steel. In this case the efficiency ofelectromagnetic interaction between the coils windings of the vehicleand the magnetic means of the track is much higher that provides economyof energy.

According to the third embodiment, the electromagnetic moving toy systemis made as the miniature amphibian toy vehicle that can move like a shipon water surface also.

And, according to the forth embodiment, the electromagnetic moving toysystem is made as miniature toy submarine that can flow in water alsoalong the sealed track in any directions including up and down.

The coils windings may make as Printed Circuit Board coils.

The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of theinvention will be more readily understood upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1; is a side view showing the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the second embodiment of the present;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the first embodiment of the presentinvention as a race track for two vehicles;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the third embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the fourth embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a part of the track like the statoraccording to the first embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described in detail below with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1-6 show embodiments of the present invention.

The electromagnetic moving toy system 1 according to the preferredembodiment (FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) comprises a track 2 and a vehicle 3moved on the track 2. The track 2 comprises electrically connected coilswindings 4 serving as a linear stator 5 and located in a series wayalong the track 2. The coils windings 4 are powered in such way that atleast two adjacent coil windings 6 and 6 a (FIG. 6) operate in time. Thevehicle 3 comprises magnetic means 7 interact with coils windings 4 sothe magnetic means 7 serve as a moving body 8 provide a possibility formoving of the vehicle 3. The magnetic means 7 are made as permanentmagnets 9 located along the vehicle 3 (FIGS. 1 and 4) with alternativepolarity. The linear stator 5 may further comprise a core 10 made ofmagnet-conducting material with high eddy current resistance, made forexample from silicon steel.

The coils windings 4 located on the track 2 are connected to a powersource (not shown) which can be an electrical supply line or anautonomous power source like an electrical battery. The electromagneticmoving toy system 1 can have remote control and transformer (not shown)with a possibility to change the speed and the direction of the vehicle3 movement, for example by changing the order of work of the coilswindings 4 in the opposite direction.

The electromagnetic interaction between the coils windings 4 of thetrack 2 and the magnetic means 7 of the vehicle 3 not only moves thevehicle 3, but it also provides at the same time, reliable attractionbetween the vehicle 3 and the track 2 in any possible configuration andlocation without any special additional means for it. It makes theelectromagnetic moving toy system 1 much more stable, reliable and givesthe opportunity to operate at higher speed of the vehicle 3 and in anyposition of it, thus providing the possibility to make the track 2 asvertical ring or spiral (FIG. 3), or in any other configuration. It alsosimplifies the system 1 and makes it more durable because it is notnecessary to use any kind of brushes.

The electromagnetic moving toy system 1 operates in the following ways.When electrical power is supplied from the power source (not shown) tothe coils windings 4 of the track 2 that operate together as the linearstator 5, alternating electromagnetic fields are created. First, theelectrical power is supplied to two adjacent coils windings 6 and 6 a ofthe linear stator 5 (FIG. 6) located on a part of the track 2 where thevehicle 3 is located at this moment. The electromagnetic field createdby two adjacent coils windings 6 and 6 a interacts with a magnetic fieldcreated by the magnetic means 7 of the vehicle 3, which serve as amoving body 8. As a result the vehicle 3 moves along the track 2. Whensaid vehicle 3 approaches to the next part of the track 2 with twoadjacent coils windings 6 and 6 b the polarity of electrical power isswitching by the controller (not shown) and the vehicle 3 continues tomove and so on.

According to the second embodiment (FIG. 2), which is another way toachieve the same goal of the present invention, the electricallyconnected coils windings 4 placed on the bottom part of the vehicle 3and connected directly to an autonomous power source 11 located on thevehicle 3. Magnetic means 7 located in a series way along the track 2and interact with the coils windings 4 located on the vehicle 3, thusrepresent another way to achieve the similar goal by using the samegeneral idea. Magnetic means 7 are made as permanent magnets 9 locatedalong the track 2 with alternative polarity. It gives, in general,similar effect as mentioned first embodiment. Such configurationprovides the minimum necessary power usage and, as a result, theessential economy of energy.

The electromagnetic moving toy system 1 according to the secondembodiment operates in the following ways. The electrical power issupplied from autonomous power source (battery) 11 to the electricallyconnected coils windings 4 placed on the bottom part of the vehicle 3creating an alternating electromagnetic field. This electromagneticfield interacts with a magnetic field created by the magnetic means 7 ofthe track 2. As a result the vehicle 3 moves along the track 2 similarto the first embodiment.

There are some design options of electromagnetic moving toy system 1according to the third (FIG. 4) and fourth (FIG. 5) embodiments. Thus,the electromagnetic moving toy system 1 is made as the miniatureamphibian toy vehicle 3 (FIG. 4) that can move like a ship on watersurface. And, the electromagnetic moving toy system 1 can be made as theminiature toy submarine vehicle 3 (FIG. 5) that can move in anydirections including up and down and flow under water also. In the eachthese design options track 2 with coils windings 4 should behermetically insulated.

The main effect of the present invention that makes it much better thanall known technical solutions in this field is as following:electromagnetic interaction between the coils windings 4 of the track 2and the magnetic means 7 of the vehicle 3 (in the first embodiment) orbetween the coils windings 4 of the vehicle 3 and the magnetic means 7of the track 2 (in the second embodiment) provides reliable attractionbetween the vehicle 3 and the track 2 in any possible configuration andlocation of the track 2 and the vehicle 3 without any special means forit. It makes the electromagnetic moving toy system 1 much more reliableand gives the possibility to operate at the higher speed of vehicle 3and in any position of it; thus providing the possibility to make thepart of the track 2 as vertical ring or spiral or in any otherconfiguration including on and/or under the water. It also makes theelectromagnetic moving toy system 1, especially for the preferredembodiment very easy electronically controllable (speed, time, turns andetc.).

1. An electromagnetic moving toy system comprising a track and at leastone vehicle located on said track, wherein: (i) said track comprisingelectrically connected coils windings serving as a linear stator andlocated in a series way along said track; (ii) said coils windings beingpowered in such way that at least two adjacent said coil windingsoperating in time; (iii) said vehicle comprising magnetic meansinteracting with said coils windings so said magnetic means serving as amoving body providing a possibility for moving of said vehicle.
 2. Thesystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic means being made aspermanent magnets located along said vehicle with alternative polarity.3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linear stator furthercomprising a core made of magnet-conducting material with high eddycurrent resistance.
 4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein saidcore being made from silicon steel.
 5. An electromagnetic moving systemcomprising a track and at least one vehicle located on said track,wherein: (i) said track comprising magnetic means located in a seriesway along said track; (ii) said vehicle comprises electrically connectedcoils windings serving as a linear stator powered by at least oneautonomous power source, thus said coils windings being interacted withsaid magnetic means providing a possibility for moving of said vehicle.6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said magnetic means beingmade as permanent magnets located along said track with alternativepolarity.
 7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linearstator further comprising a core made of magnet-conducting material withhigh eddy current resistance.
 8. The system as claimed in claim 7,wherein said core being made from silicon steel.